The invention relates to fat-like protein compositions for use in foods and cosmetics. The food art is continuously searching for improved fat substitutes which retain the texture, taste and appearance of fatty substances, and which can be used in a variety of food products. While the art has developed a number of products which have attempted to solve this problem, these products are often either poor fat substitutes, impractical to produce, or both. Moreover, products containing fats and oils often have a short shelf life.
In the cosmetic art, there is a need for improved substances capable of complexing with numerous cosmetic substances to extend shelf life, and enhance stability and delivery of these substances.
Various types of protein compositions and processes for their formation have been described in the patent literature. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,021,248 and 5,145,702 (to Stark and Gross) describe water-insoluble proteins (prolamines) which are denatured and precipitated from alcoholic solutions, and then dispersed under shear as microparticles. However, a special apparatus providing for controlled feed of reactants and for dispersion by rapid stirring is required for this process. These products are stable only up to 70.degree. C. (158.degree. F.), making them unsuitable as a fat replacement for baking or similar purposes.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,855,156 and 4,961,953 (to Singer), and U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,147,677 (Ziegler), 5,173,322 (Melachouris), EP/0345226 (to Habib), EP/0340035 (to Chen), and WO90/05460 (to Liao) describe precipitation by heat-denaturation and microparticulation by shear (in a special apparatus) of water-soluble proteins such as egg white, casein, whey protein and cereal proteins, with addition, in some instances, of lecithin, polysaccharides, and other substances.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,374,441 to Gibson et al. describes precipitation and microparticulation of water-soluble proteins by heat-denaturation under shear, combined with a crosslinking reaction using phenolic acids and an oxidizing agent. The microparticles produced by this process are stable at temperatures of 350-400.degree. F. when used for baking. This product, while having certain desirable properties, is difficult to manufacture on a large scale because it requires an injection step and high-shear agitation.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,734,287 to Singer, et al. describes protein product bases produced by subjecting sweet whey to high shear while simultaneously heating the whey to produce the proteinaceous microparticles.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,308,294 issued Dec. 29, 1981 to Rispoli et al. describes oil replacement compositions prepared by formation of a protein phase, forming a separate acid modified starch phase, heating the acid starch phase to swell the starch, followed by cooling and mixing the protein and acid phases.